HubSpot vs Sprout Social: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of HubSpot and Sprout Social to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
HubSpot
6.9/10
HubSpot is a CRM platform with a free tier and paid per-seat Sales Hub plans, plus companion marketing and service hubs, aimed at small and mid-sized businesses.
Sprout Social
6.7/10
Sprout Social is a social media management platform for publishing, engagement, listening and reporting, sold per seat to mid-market and enterprise marketing teams.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.9/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 2/10 |
| Integration | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $20/user/mo Sales Hub Starter | $99/user/mo Essentials |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $200/mo Sales Hub Starter | $990/mo Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Competitor Analysis | Not listed | |
| Social Media Analytics | Not listed | |
| Social Media Scheduling | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Marketing Automation | Not listed | |
| Built-in Calling | Not listed | |
| Customer Support Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Sales Automation | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Reporting & Analytics | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
HubSpot vs Sprout Social cost by team size
HubSpot costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | HubSpot | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | $99/moEssentials |
| 5 users | $100/moSales Hub Starter | $495/moEssentials |
| 10 users | $200/moSales Hub Starter | $990/moEssentials |
| 25 users | $500/moSales Hub Starter | $2,475/moEssentials |
| 50 users | $1,000/moSales Hub Starter | $4,950/moEssentials |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose HubSpot
- Has a free plan (Sprout Social does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: $200/mo vs $990/mo
- Higher Cost score (5/10 vs 2/10)
- Higher Integration score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for small business (9/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Sprout Social
- Higher Analytics score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Higher Scalability score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
HubSpot
Pros
- The free CRM has no time limit and covers contacts, deals, tickets, a shared inbox, a reporting dashboard and mobile apps.
- The HubSpot Marketplace lists over 2,000 integrations.
- Sales, marketing and service hubs share one customer database, so teams avoid syncing separate tools.
- G2 reviewers often praise the sales automation and how easy everyday use is.
Cons
- The free tier is now limited to two users and 1,000 contacts.
- Professional and Enterprise tiers require one-time onboarding fees of $1,500 to $7,000, depending on the hub.
- Reviewers report a steep price jump from Starter to Professional, and extra costs from marketing-contact tiers and credits.
- Reviewers cite annual contract lock-in and setup and administration complexity as recurring complaints.
Sprout Social
Pros
- G2 users mention ease of use more than 1,200 times, which points to an interface teams learn quickly.
- Reviewers often describe the reporting and analytics as best-in-class among social media tools.
- The Smart Inbox gathers messages and reviews from all networks into one queue for engagement and customer care.
- A 30-day free trial with no credit card lets teams test the platform fully before buying.
Cons
- Every seat is charged, so Standard costs $249 a seat on monthly billing and team costs rise quickly.
- Listening and Premium Analytics are paid add-ons with no published prices.
- Trustpilot reviews, around 2 out of 5, center on auto-renewal, contract lock-in and difficult cancellation.
- Competitor insights need Professional, and API access needs Advanced.
- Some lower-tier customers report slow support and account managers who changed without notice.
Not sold on either?
Why We ViralOur product
Free TikTok analytics for social media teams: see which formats, hooks, and topics get views for any creator or competitor, and turn them into content ideas.
Made by the team behind b stack radar. Shown here because it fits this topic. It is not part of our rankings. How we rank tools
Frequently Asked Questions
HubSpot scores higher on our Marketing criteria: 6.9/10 against 6.7/10 for Sprout Social. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for HubSpot and 2/10 for Sprout Social.
HubSpot costs less for 10 users: about $200/mo on its Sales Hub Starter plan, against about $990/mo on its Essentials plan for Sprout Social, billed monthly.
HubSpot has a free plan; Sprout Social does not list one.
HubSpot is the better fit for small business: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 4/10 for Sprout Social.
